Counting Daisies
by mysticLegend11
Summary: -IshidaxOC- While Ishida Uryu embarks on a hero's path of a grand and cosmic scale, he is surprised to find an unexpected person waiting for him at home, as well as comfort in the most normal teenage experiences. Complete. Please enjoy.
1. Prologue

IshidaxOC

Due to my absolute frustration that there are no good OC Ishida fics out there, I've decided to write one myself.

**_Counting Daisies_**

_Prologue_

Every morning, when she rushed through the classroom door surrounded by an entourage of her friends, there was one thing she could always rely on: the solitary figure in the corner of the room. No matter how early she arrived, he would always be there, his focused eyes fixed on a book, thoughts that she would never comprehend swirling around in his mind.

Every time she glared at him in contempt, he simply ignored her, and that only intensified her irritation. He was the only thing stopping her from claiming her rightful throne as the highest scoring student in the school. No matter how many hours she crammed studying the night before the test, there was always something she missed that he did not. When she congratulated him with a fake smile, he had simply thanked her and walked away, as if he couldn't care less whether he had the first or the thousandth score.

But there was something about him that piqued her curiosity, and for some reason, her mind could never leave him alone. Even sitting there so aloofly, he seemed to radiate some sort of vibrant, collected energy that no one else possessed. To everyone else in the school, he was just a shadow that they willingly ignored, but in her mind's eye, he stood out like an angel among befuddled masses.

Every time she passed him, a silent recognition passed between them, and each time, she grew more interested in the enigmatic genius. Halfway through, she decided that her actions were unlike her usual self. There was no barrier that prevented her from simply striking up a conversation during lunch.

She realized why. She was _afraid_. She was not the cowardly type, but sensed a degree of restrained power inside him, an alien vitality that she couldn't explain in words.

She couldn't explain the eerie feeling to anyone. Her friends would only laugh and tease her about her pathetic crush. Her parents would only complain about teenage hormones. It was something that passed unspoken for years. Even when they were small children, Miwa was always the center of attention, and Uryu was silent and forgotten. They both shone with individual pride and self-assertion, after those long years of growing up, nothing had changed.

* * *

Sorry if my OC came off as a Mary Sue. I'm paranoid about that stuff now. I originally had planned this story drastically differently. I don't think I like the change either...

So do you think I should continue? I don't know... that would involve making up the next part of Bleach, and I don't think I'm up to that. It would also increase her Sue-ishness if I give her crazy powers, and if I don't, it'll make her completely unlikable.

In retrospect, I'm kind of disappointed at how pointless this fic came off to be. T...T I guess I should really stay away from romance. –sigh-

I have the next two chapters written (which is the entire story, I think) so if anyone wants to beta read this for me, please review or message me. If anyone knows any good Ishida fics, particularly OC ones, please do recommend them.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

With a mouthful of _tamagoyaki _or rolled omelet, Maeda Miwa dashed out the front steps with a fervency that would have impressed an arrancar. _'I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late!' _She choked as she cursed under her breath with a full mouth. _'Of all days to oversleep... why didn't okaa-san wake me up?'_ She could already imagine the chastising scolding of her sensei and the victorious smirks of her friends.

Then she saw it. The flash of a yellow school bus—her ride to school. With seemingly inhuman speed, she propelled herself down the hill, practically flying. As if daunting her, the bus accelerated and swerved over a curb.

"WAIT!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, to no avail. She huffed adamantly, running towards the corner where the bus disappeared. But there was no trace of it anywhere. _'You... can't be serious.'_ Her parents had already left for work, and she was mostly definitely going to be late.

Miwa considered the weight of a tardy on her perfect record. Perhaps she could fake being severely ill, or getting into an accident. Instead of getting scolded, she may get sympathy instead. But how could she fake a miraculous recovery the next day? Sighing, she accepted defeat and started strolling to school.

Her perfect day had been ruined. Today was supposed to be her inauguration of becoming freshman president in the student council. If she didn't rush, the ceremony might end before she even arrived. The situation called for extreme measures.

She knew a shortcut to school, but it meant cutting through a public park and some private property. She prayed she wouldn't get lost.

The sky glowed a radiant, deep blue and the temperature was perfect. Periodically, gusts would toy with her hair and the branches would swish. It was nice, sometimes, to escape the metropolitan center and stop to smell the roses, as they would say.

That is, as long as you knew where you were going.

Miwa wanted to slap herself for her stupidity. She was always hopeless at navigation, and now she had gotten herself, not surprisingly, _hopelessly_ lost.

"Geez, why does every bench, tree and shrub have to look the same?" Her face twitched as she approached the same white rock for the third time. Her patience was fading quickly. If anyone saw the oh so great class president in this embarrassing situation, she would have melted from chagrin.

Then she noticed a dull roar of a waterfall and some strange sounds interrupting the water's flow. As she started walking towards it, the sound grew louder. _'This presence... it feels familiar somehow.'_

To her immense surprise, she saw her rival, Ishida Uryu, holding some kind of white glove gingerly, clad in something that looked straight out of a superhero comic book. Her eyebrows twitched. The sight was so peculiar that she almost failed to believe it. She eyed him greedily behind a tree, wondering what in the world he was doing and why he was not at school. Surely the great genius could not be skipping? _'Why should I care? It's none of my business.' _She observed him curiously from afar, wondering if he had lost his sanity. She weighed her options. Was her pride really too much to bend, if he knew the way the school? _'I hope I don't appear like some kind of stalker.'_

Reluctantly, she plucked up her courage and shuffled some steps towards him and the waterfall. As the roar deafened her ears, there was an unsettling energy in the air that made her tense.

"Excuse me, Ishida-kun?" He gave no sign of hearing her. A vein popped on her forehead. Perhaps he hadn't heard her. She repeated it again, louder. For a second, he seemed to jolt and turned around, hiding his hand behind him.

"Maeda-san?" _'Hallelujah. He knows my name.' _She cleared her throat to speak, but she was paralyzed for a moment. His dark blue eyes, behind gray frames, seemed to hypnotize her because of their unprecedented concentration and intensity. "Is there something wrong, Maeda-san?"

"U-uh, I was wondering..." she stuttered, quickly flushing a bright pink. No matter what she did, she couldn't stop stuttering and coming off as a complete idiot. Then she realized that this was the first conversation they had even spoken with each other. "I got lost on my way to school. Do you know how to get there?" His eyes betrayed slight surprise, and he almost seemed relieved.

"You'll never get there in time for the ceremony," he replied collectedly.

"I realize that, but..." Miwa sighed gloomily.

"The route is pretty complicated, but it shouldn't take more than half an hour. Come on," he gestured, walking back to the bench.

"W-wait, you're coming with me?" She asked, surprise filling her eyes.

"If you got lost this far out, I think it'd be best for me to accompany you," he replied politely. She glared at him from his jab at her ego. _'What is this guy implying?'_

"T-thank you," she stuttered and fell in step with him. Curiosity was burning a whole in her chest, and she opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but she closed it again. If she knew one thing about him, at least he had common sense, so she trusted that he knew what she was doing. She stole a furtive glance at him, and she was alarmed by his contemplative concentration. _'What is this heavy atmosphere? Doesn't this guy know how to laugh?'_ "I'm really sorry to bother you. Truth is, I've always wanted to talk to you, but who knows I would meet you at a place like this."

She eyed his every movement, but he simply nodded politely in reply. _'Huh. This guy is really gregarious.'_ She wasn't surprised by how fast he was walking either. He had his own business to attend to, and he was always an elite athlete, and it intrigued her why he never joined a school sport. _'Doesn't get along with other people, I suppose.'_

To her amazement, she found herself grinning from ear to ear. Perhaps it was the irony of the situation, or maybe it was purely out of humiliation. But for some reason, she was enjoying herself immensely. The spiritual energy in the air, so strong that it was almost tangible, made her nerves giddy. Underneath that reserved demeanor, she realized that he was actually quite kind-hearted. Any other of her friends would have just left her with instructions and a sarcastic good-luck.

The entire walk, even though it was completely silent, did not feel awkward or embarrassing. _'I wonder how I can make it up to him.' _It was, after all, the first time a boy had walked her to school alone. If her friends discovered this, they would never stop teasing her about it. When she saw the familiar tip of the school building, she breathed a big sigh of relief.

"Congratulations on becoming freshmen president, Maeda-san. You deserve it. Have a nice day at school," he praised suddenly as he stopped.

"You're not coming with me?" She bit her lip as she watched him turn around. "I trust you know what you're doing."

He gave her a small smile. "I don't need you to worry about me."

"Good-bye," she whispered, although she doubted he heard her. "And thank you." She watched his figure disappear in the foliage, and then she sprinted to the front door, her spirits lifted. By then, she almost—_almost_—didn't regret oversleeping that morning.

"Sensei, thank you so much for letting me make up for being late this morning," she smiled broadly.

"It's not a problem, Maeda-san. Just make sure it doesn't happen again," he waved as she left.

"Ah, and thanks again!" She sprinted down the steps.

"Wait, Maeda-san, do you have a ride home?" her teacher shouted from the door.

"I'll be fine. See you tomorrow," she waved. _'I'm so happy Matsuda-sensei is so understanding. He moved the ceremony to tomorrow because I was late today!' _So maybe her perfect day had a few unexpected quirks, but what could she say? Maybe her grandmother was right after all. Things had a tendency to turn out all right, if not for the better. Surprises were inevitable, and the smartest people used a disadvantage as an advantage. But now she encountered a different problem.

She had dropped her student I.D. on her way to school. She had it in her pocket the entire time, and when she went to school, _poof,_ it had vanished. Her stroll broke into a light jog, as she retraced her steps from this morning. She had a folded-up map of her route in her pocket, to make sure that she would not make a fool of herself this time.

She scanned the ground of anything that might appear as her I.D., but to no avail. She determined that it was unlikely she had dropped it during her stroll with Ishida, because he would have probably noticed. _'It could it have been... when I was pursuing the crazy bus? Oh crap...'_

The park was amazingly serene at sunset. The leaves glowed with a soft amber tint. Twilight made everything hazy, somehow. It also reminded her that if she didn't hurry home, she would miss dinner. She was breathing heavily now, and her backpack jolted up and down uncomfortably on her back, but she enjoyed this feeling, to feel the sweat on her bare skin and the pain that came with each movement. But it was a good sort of pain, a feeling that reminded she was human.

_'So... it's time to sort out my feelings. Do I like him or do I not?' _Nearby, she spotted a blooming white daisy. Smiling, she plucked it and regained her run.

She plucked off a thin petal. _'I like him.'_

Her lips pouted. _'I like him not.'_

She giggled when she realized how naïve she was acting. She had a crush on a guy that what—she had spoken three sentences to? She knew next to nothing about him, even though they've attended school together for years. So the urban myth actually was true. Liking somebody made one act strangely. She plucked off the last petal. _'I like him not.'_

Annoyed at having her fantasies crushed when the atmosphere was so perfect, she stomped the rest of the flower under her sole as she rushed down the pavement. _'It's nice to feel like a normal teenager, I suppose. If they actually exist.'_ Even if her crush would only last for a few days or a few weeks, it was kind of fun. She giggled aloud when she imagined his face distorting in shock if she confessed.

She paused when she recognized the familiar roar of the waterfall. She picked up her pace as she reached it, gasping at the sight.

It was quite pretty, in lack of a better word. The idyllic sense of the cascading waters reflecting the amber sky soothed her. She closed her eyes, allowing the light warmth of the falling sun to envelope her.

But then her heart nearly stopped when she saw him. He was still there, the white glove in his hand, performing some kind of secret ritual she would never understand. _'Has he been here the entire day? Impossible.'_ She stared at him in shock and intrigue. He was certainly not the average teenager. When she realized she was acting far too much like a stalker, she backed away and returned on the way back home. Her mind was full of new thoughts now, about this baffling young man.

Her stomach rumbled, and it reminded that she would have to deal with her mother's scowl and punishment if she was late. _'Dinner. Did Ishida-kun even have lunch or dinner?'_ For some reason, she doubted it.

The bell rang, and her classmates jolted out of their seats, eager to go home. Their smiles and laughter became distant to Miwa, and somehow the depressing weight in her heart would not lift. In her hand was a bento, and she had spent hours preparing it the day before to prepare it. If she didn't eat it now, it would spoil.

But his desk was empty. The next day, and the next day again.

A small part of her knew that this would happen, but she still couldn't believe it. It was Friday. Ishida Uryu, the solitary genius, had missed an entire week of school?

_'What could possibly be...'_

She felt betrayed. Cheated, somehow. But she swore not to lose her calm. How could he possibly know about her covert feelings?

"Is there something wrong, Maede-san? You don't have to stay behind for president duties everyday," a gentle voice reminded.

"It's fine, Matsuda-sensei," she forced a smile. "I enjoy it."

"Funny," he snorted. "Well, if you don't go home now, your family will be worried."

"Yeah... say, Matsuda-sensei, I was thinking of giving him all the homework that's been missing."

"Him?" the teacher repeated.

"Oh, Ishida-kun. Since he's my number one rival, I can't forgive him for this."

"Well then, that's not a problem. The pile's a little heavy though."

"I don't mind. Thank you, sensei. I hate to ask you for another favor, but there's something else..."

Thank you, Satoshistar7 and White Alchemist Taya for reviewing. You guys are the best. xD


	3. Chapter 2

.Chapter Two.

She knew that he would still be there. A small part of her heart still couldn't accept it. He drew an invisible arrow and released it, but all she saw was air.

"Maede-san, is this really necessary?"

"I should be asking you that. Besides, I'm surprised you noticed me. You didn't Monday morning. Grown more acute, have you?" He turned around, his breathing haggard and labored. She could tell that every limb in his body was exhausted, but his sapphire eyes retained the same fierce intensity.

Before either of them knew what happened, her palm smacked across his left cheek—hard. The impact still rang in her ears. "What's wrong with you? Not even calling into the school to say you were going to be absent. Not bothering to make up work. Even abandoning your handicrafts club after school. Doesn't your family care? It's your decision whether you skip school or not, but have you considered how your attitude will make others feel? It seems like I've misjudged you, Ishida-kun. I suppose your future doesn't matter to you at all."

A lump formed in her throat, and now she was fighting back tears.

He stared icily, his eyes betraying a glint of guilt and irritation. "That's enough. You know _nothing_ about me. Stop pretending that you do."

"Don't think that I'm that naïve! It's got something to do with the disappearance of Kuchiki Rukia, doesn't it?" When he appeared visibly alarmed, she knew she was right. "From the beginning, I never trusted her. She had no formal documents, no family references. I don't understand how she was accepted into the school. It's like she bewitched the teachers or something." She bit her lip, her gaze wavering. "You probably think I'm some lunatic, but she's definitely _not human. _There's... something special about you too."

"Not at all. You've got some amazing intuition," he said, his expression unreadable. "Maede-san, do you believe in spirits?"

"Spirits?" she repeated quizzically. A vein popped in her forehead. "I'm trying to be serious here! Stop trying to change the subject." To her surprise, he smiled.

"So you've just come here to lecture me?"

She ignored the hasty, irritated remark. "Have you had dinner yet?" She didn't wait for a response. Digging into her backpack, she threw him a lunchbox. He caught it easily, but he didn't look at it.

"I don't need your sympathy," he said bitterly.

"It's not my sympathy, it's my thanks. For Monday morning," Miwa corrected, grabbing one for herself. He glanced down at the prepared lunchbox, contemplating.

"I see. But I'm not hungry." His stomach rumbled noisily, enough to rival the roar of the waterfall, and he turned slightly pink.

Miwa was starting to lose her patience. There was a fine line between pride and insolence, and this guy was toying with it.

"Just eat it, please. For me." His gaze softened as she sat across from him, throwing him chopsticks. He sat down, opening it reluctantly. The food was a little smushed from the ride in her backpack, but it looked just as delectable.

"Itadakimasu!" She chanted, and chopped on the first bite. She was relieved when he greedily devoured his lunch, while she barely finished half of it. Seeing his ravenousness, she wondered when his last decent meal was.

"I'm sorry if the food's not the best. I tried, but... I've still got a lot to learn," she said, flustered.

"No, it's really good. I suppose I owe you, don't I?" She realized that he was staring at the bandage on her left hand, because she had almost cut off her hand the night before when she was chopping vegetables. Laughing nervously, she hid it behind her back.

"Not at all," she blushed. "Besides, as class president, I've really come to give you all the classwork and homework you missed. You're not going to be here next Monday either, will you?" He looked down and closed the lunchbox.

"No, and neither will Ichigo-san, Orihime-san and Yasutora-san," he answered. "I'm sorry that it's not the answer you wanted to hear."

"Humph, well, you better have it finished by the first day you come back, or I'll remove you from my class," she warned.

"You have that much control over the teachers, huh? Scary," he teased. "Well then, if that's all—"

"You're really eager to get rid of me, huh?" She sighed. "You really think I'll let you carry your homework with your hands in that condition?" She pointed to his bandages.

His eyebrows twitching, he started, "I'm perfectly capable—"

"Don't even think about it. I have my pride, you know," she smiled. "I trust you know your way home?"

"You're coming with me?" He blinked in surprise.

"Look, I know it's none of my business and all, but really—"

"You don't understand," he looked away. "I don't want to get you involved."

"If I were you, I would worry about yourself," she paused, surprised that he would actually show concern for her.

"It's a long walk from here," he interjected, still trying to dissuade her.

"Come on, you owe me, don't you? I'm coming with you and that's final." For a few seconds, they stared at each other, not backing down.

"...Very well," he relented. She smiled victoriously, but still a little guilty about her selfishness. She was surprised when he started to pick up her backpack, but she quickly snatched it.

"I'm not letting an injured man like you carry this," she fought defensively.

"I was just trying to put the lunchbox back in," he smiled.

"Oh," she flushed.

It was indeed a long walk, but Miwa enjoyed every second of it. Simply being close to his presence was... thrilling, somehow.

"I'm a little concerned, you know. Whatever you were training for... I hope you know what you're doing," she piped up, breaking the silence.

"Hm, am I getting Maede-san worried?" he teased, but his eyes remained dead serious.

"I bet you guys think that you're on some self-righteous epic quest for justice. Saving the world from some unknown horror, like they do in all those ridiculous manga, but you forget that you're really only fifteen years old."

He pushed his glasses up. "This again?"

"You think you're on some heroic path, overcoming obstacle and strengthening from it. Death and serious injury are as distant as the moon, and whenever you jump into the heart of danger without thinking twice, you forget about the people who love you back home, those who would never want to see you hurt," she lectured, her voice carrying hints of accusation and anger.

It was twilight now; the dim street lamps had begun to twinkle and light up, one by one. The streets were empty, and a strange sense of loneliness settled over her.

"Maede-san, who exactly are you?" She took a few steps, before she realized that he had stopped in his tracks. She turned around, and for the first time, was really able to see whom he was. His skin was pale and flawless in the eerily blue light, his white clothes seeming to glow from his dark surroundings. His eyes were full of a gravity behind his years, and he carried an indefinable air of achievement and pride with him. It reflected in every movement, every lift of his chin, and every glint in his eye.

"I'm exactly who you think I am," she answered softly and truthfully. "Recently, I've been having these premonitions of doom. There's this lingering air of dread that follows me, but it eases when I'm around you. You asked me once, about spirits. At the time it sounded completely ridiculous, but now... I feel like as if there's another hidden dimension out there, one that I've touched but been shielded from. I know you have your secrets, Ishida-kun, but be careful."

"No, you're the one who needs to be careful," he said urgently. "It's best that you stay away from me from now on. That world you yearn for doesn't exist. It'll only lead you into danger, and you're right, it may end up with a fatal, irreversible outcome."

"Quite the hypocrite, aren't you?" He was angry now, and she knew it. _'He's trying to protect me... but from what? And since when did he think I needed protection?'_

"This is far enough. Thank you for accompanying me," he sharply brushed her off, and walked past her. Despite it all, she did not give up. She followed him, tracing his footsteps. "We're here," he said softly, stopping at the bottom of a cracked fleet of stairs.

"Don't be ridiculous, I told you from the beginning that I'm coming with you," she bit her lip, but her persistence did not waver. She knew that he was getting steadily frustrated with her, but she would risk it. Even if it meant that he hated her.

She climbed up the stairs with him, and they entered the small house. She was unused to the amount of dust in the air, and was alarmed by how dank and dark the atmosphere was. _'Someone needs to breathe life into this place.'_

She settled the backpack on the table, her shoulders now aching, and took out the thick packet of papers. She took another box from her backpack and watched the bedroom light turn on. _'I wonder if he was training on Wednesday even when there was pouring rain. Probably.' _The house carried a melancholic air because of how empty and dark it was. She briefly wondered where his parents were, and realized that there was so many things didn't know about him.

"Can I come in?" She asked softly.

"Yes," he replied stiffly, and when she opened the door, she realized that he had changed his ridiculous outfit into something more comfortable. She opened her first aid kit, revealing an array of bandages, pads, antiseptics, and medications. She grabbed a pair of rubber gloves.

"Can I see your left hand?" He reluctantly outreached it, and she scrutinized the bandages, which were crusted with dried blood. She carefully unwrapped them, and applied some anti-itch ointment.

"This might hurt," she warned, but he kept calm, although wincing as she finished. "It should prevent swelling and infection." She carefully wrapped his hand with clean bandages, and hoped that the relief would last for at least a few days. She removed her right glove and then touched his forehead. She grew bright pink from the bare touch, and she saw a bright tint on his cheeks as well.

"Well, at least you don't have a fever. But these pills should give you some effective pain relief when you need it," she held up a small bottle. "It's the school's first aid kit, and you should probably take it with you wherever you're going, because I have a feeling you'll need it." She stood still for a moment, the image of his bloody hands not leaving her vision even when she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry about my rudeness earlier. I-I really don't have the right to lecture you about anything."

When silence ensued, she thought that he still might be angry at her, but instead, his voice carried a tired but curious tone. "You know, you're destroying this image I had of you as a naïve foolish little girl," he mused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're well-liked and popular. I thought that all that attention had gotten to your head. You seemed like the type of person who took advantage of others to make yourself look better. You have a supportive family, you're smart, pretty—"

_'No way did he just call me pretty.'_

"And altogether what every other teenage girl wants to be. You seem so ordinary, and it always occurred to me that we are nothing alike." Her heart was pounding in her chest. _'I see. So he hated me before, because of all the things I deemed normal and took for granted.'_

"But now I realize I was wrong. I'm glad at least someone cares that I've been missing. Thank you, Maede-san." He was smiling. It was sincere, and there was something in him that she hadn't noticed before—gratefulness? Then she understood. _'You've been lonely, haven't you?'_ "There's something you have to promise me."

"In that case, you have to promise me something too," she replied.

"Very well. You have to stay out of danger while I'm gone."

"As long as you promise me that you'll come back in one piece, as soon as you can," she challenged.

"At most two weeks. It's a done deal," he nodded.

"As class president, I'll never forgive you if you break the promise."

"I always keep my word, in the name of the last Quincy."

* * *

Fluff was never my forte... (headsmack) Oh well, thanks for everyone who supported this story. I feel a little guilty because I haven't been updating my other fics. Heh.


	4. Epilogue

.Epilogue.

Staring aloofly at the white, bare wall in front of her, she couldn't shake it off the overwhelming gulf of darkness that seemed to draw her heart into a void. It clung to her like a disease, and with each passing day, the virus seemed to consume her every action and smile. It was harder and harder to tap into her reservoir of strength—she forced herself to keep a bright face, but every time she was alone, she wanted to sob her sorrows away. What was more frustrating was that she had no idea why, other than the fact that Ishida, Ichigo, Orihime and Chad had been gone for the past three and a half weeks. Surely she couldn't be that worried about them?

_'There's no point in falling into a depression. There's no use in crying or praying. I know they'll come back just fine, and stronger than they were when they left. Especially Ishida, that brat... when he comes back, I'm going to drill so much make-up work into him that he wishes he had never returned.'_

Her lips curving at the prospect of sweet revenge, the apprehensive feeling in her chest became more abstract and imaginary. She wondered what type of reward she should treat them to when they got back. _'No, no, I can't reward them for missing four weeks of school.'_ But just knowing they were safe... she would give up anything at that moment to make sure. Recently, there were these ridiculous, fanciful dreams about them waving around crazy swords (Ishida was using a bow, of course) and looking cool when they were being slashed around painfully. Thankfully, those random episodes had ceased from her sleep, but the fear continued to gnaw at her.

When her pencil rattled as it dropped on the ground, she was snapped back to her homework. _'I really can't concentrate today. I'm getting nothing done.'_ Sighing, she realized that this was nothing new. Her fingertips scanned the shiny turquoise surface of the mechanical pencil, smiling mournfully in retrospect. She had borrowed it from Ishida-kun not too long before he left.

The sharp _ring_ of the phone jolted her awake. She considered picking it up for a moment, but thought it was best if her mother picked up. _'Come on, Maeda Miwa, you have nothing to lose from a bright face, and everything to lose. So just... get over yourself.'_

"Miwa! The call's for you. Some guy called Ishida-kun, I believe," her mother called from the kitchen. Her heart lurched. Before she realized it, the speaker was already at her ear.

"I-I-Ishida-kun?" she called hesitantly, her head reeling with conflicting emotions.

"Miwa-san, we've arrived, and we're all at Ichigo-san's house." His voice was crisp and clear, and for a second, she doubted her ears.

"Are any of you hurt?" Her voice was desperate for relief.

"No, we're all in perfect shape, thanks to Orihime-san." She collapsed in her chair and found that she could actually breathe properly for the first time in a month. "How have you been, Maede-san?" He was teasing her, and she knew it.

"You'll know soon enough when I get there." She paused to keep her voice from shaking. _'You see, Miwa-san? There was no need to worry.' _"I know you'll laugh, but I've been having some pretty ridiculous dreams about you guys. I'm glad that it was just my imagination."

"What kind of dreams? I'm curious," he asked politely.

"Well, you were carrying a bow of strange blue spiritual energy, and you defeated the weird whore who could transform herself into a bug-shaped figure. She really got on my nerves. Then you helped another good guy blow up this immortal monster called what—Syzael, no, Szayel... but anyways, he healed himself and that's when I woke up. The next day, it was the epic struggle between good versus evil, or should I say the Black Robes Wielding Crazy Sword versus Deformed Monsters with Semi-Skull Masks." She laughed with relief. "It was pretty intense, and now I don't remember much of it."

He was extremely silent, and she was left wondering if she embarrassed herself or she offended him. "Pretty ridiculous, right?"

"When did you have the dream about my battle with Szayel?"

Surprised that he would find this topic mildly interesting, she replied, "I don't remember, it seems like one huge glob to me. Maybe a week ago or so?"

"I see. So you broke your promise," he conjectured bluntly.

"I did not! I've always had these ridiculous childish battles in my dreams. They just tend to hazy with memory," she cried in self-defense at the false accusation. "Ishida-kun, there's something I need to ask you."

"I'm listening."

"During exams, I scored first place for the first time. It didn't mean anything to me though, because you weren't there. I wanted my first victory to be your first taste of defeat, but I suppose life doesn't work that way, eh? There was this childish kid claiming the title of second place because Orihime-san wasn't here either." Her voice became soft. "I know you guys went to retrieve her... Ishida-kun, do you like Orihime-san?" She was challenging him, and he knew it. It was so blunt and simple, and both of them saw it coming.

"I don't know," he replied carefully.

"So you like her, eh? I thought so." When he began protesting, she added, "If you didn't like her, it would have been easy to say so, but it doesn't matter, Ishida-kun, you know why?"

"No, I don't, but continue anyway," he retorted.

"Because I'm going to make you fall in love with me," she laughed. To her surprise, she could see him smiling on the other side.

"Well then, you have my good wishes, but Ishida Uryu is not so easily conquered by anyone," he snorted.

"Well, I guess my grandmother's words always turn out right. Everything has a tendency to turn out all right somehow."

**_...Akebono no Owari..._**_(The End of the Beginning)_

* * *

Well then, believe it or not, this is the first OC story I've actually finished. Surprising. I had this chapter finished a long time ago, but I wasn't sure whether I should continue the story from Ishida's point of view, but I figured that I'm too lazy. So thanks to White Alchemist Taya for being a consistent friend, as well as all others who enjoyed this story.


End file.
